Matthew 14:23 (NKJV) And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Because we live such busy lives, it is crucial to intentionally get away and be alone with God. Jesus Himself demonstrated this when He sent away the multitudes and retreated to a quiet place to pray to God the Father.
Some of us may want to fast, pray and seek the face of God. However, we need to bear in mind that fasting is not a means to manipulate God, but rather a discipline that quiets our flesh and tunes our hearts to hear God’s voice more clearly. When we fast, we should also abstain from sexual intimacy as a couple to focus fully on seeking God’s face.
There are countless voices vying for our attention, especially during times of stress. Like Job’s friends, well-intentioned individuals may offer their opinions, but we must first seek God’s guidance before seeking counsel from others. This prioritisation is critical: seek God first, then seek godly counsel.
Psalms 46:10 (NKJV) Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
As we follow Jesus’ example of pulling away from the crowds and being alone with God, we need to tell our flesh and our minds to be quiet—to cease striving, relax and let go. When we keep our eyes fixed on God, we will experience peace even during a storm. We should also get into a receptive posture before the Lord by opening our hands in humility and turning our eyes upon Jesus. Have a vision of Jesus and come to a position of rest.
Find a quiet, undisturbed place to pray and worship. Playing instrumental music will help to create a peaceful atmosphere. It may take a few minutes to quiet our thoughts, but as we come to stillness before God, we can experience his love and have communion with him.
When we quiet our minds and hearts, it will create space for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. The voice of God is often perceived as spontaneous thoughts, feelings, or visions that rise up from the heart. These intuitive communications may seem like our own thoughts, but they flow from our spirit and are not analytical or cognitive in nature.
While not all spontaneous thoughts are from the Holy Spirit, we need to recognise that this heart-level communication is the means by which God often speaks to us. As we tune into this flow of spontaneous thoughts, we can discern God’s direction for our lives and write down these intuitive thoughts, but we will always need to check that what we have perceived is in line with the Word.
Our relationship with God is an inner, intuitive, spiritual, heart experience where the Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit. As we renew our minds with this truth, we will learn to discern the Holy Spirit’s promptings more readily, and confidently walk in the path that He has laid out for us.
Sermon Series: How Much More God
你们要休息，要知道我是神
马太 福 音 14:23
23 散 了 众 人 以 後 ， 他 就 独 自 上 山 去 祷 告 。 到 了 晚 上 ， 只 有 他 一人 在 那 里 。
由于我们的生活非常忙绿，所以刻意离开去与神独处是至关重要的。耶稣也以身示范这一点，祂让众人离开，自己退去一个安静的地方向父神祷告。
我们有些人可能会禁食、祈祷和寻求上帝的面。 然而，我们需要记住禁食不是为了操控上帝，而是一种纪律，为了使我们的肉体安静下来，并让我们的心能更清晰地听到上帝的声音。当我们禁食的时候，我们也应该暂时停止夫妻间的性关系，把注意力完全集中在寻求神的面。
有无数的声音在吸引我们的注意力，尤其是当压力大的时候。有些人就像约伯的朋友们，提出他们善意的忠告，但我们必须先寻求神的指引，然后才寻求其他人的意见。这种优先是至关重要的：先寻求上帝，再聆听敬虔人的忠告。
詩 篇 46:10
10 你 们 要 休 息 ， 要 知 道 我 是 神 ！ 我 必 在 外 邦 中 被 尊 崇 ， 在 遍 地上 也 被 尊 崇 。
当我们学习耶稣的榜样远离人群与神独处，我们需要让肉体和思绪安静下来 —停止拼搏、放松自己、并放下一切。当我们定睛在上帝身上，即使在暴风中，我们也可以经历平安。我们应当在主前进入领受的模式，谦卑地张开双手，将我们的目光转向耶稣。想像着耶稣就在那里，并进入安息的模式里。
找一个安静又不受打扰的地方祷告和敬拜。播放一些纯音乐来制造平静的气氛。可能我们需要几分钟的时间让思绪安静下来，但当我们在上帝面前完全安静时，我们就能经历到祂的爱，并与主相交。
当我们把自己的思绪和心静下来，这会创造空间让圣灵向我们说话。神的声音常常被认为是从我们的心涌出的自发性想法、感觉或异象。 这些直觉上的交流可能看起来像是我们自己的想法，但它们是从我们的灵流出来的，在本质上是不能被分析或认知的。
神时常向我们说话的方式。当我们进入这种自发性想法时，我们就能够分辨神对我们生命的方向，并写下这些直觉上的想法，但我们必须常常省察所领收的是否与神的话语一致。
我们与神的关系，是一种内在的、直觉的、属灵的、内心的体验，圣灵会在其中对我们的灵说话。当我们的思想被这个真理更新时，我们就学会更容易地辨别圣灵的感动，并自信地行在祂为我们预备的道路中。
讲章系列：“岂不更多“的神
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